I Got Nuts at BlogHer

Yes, I went to a BlogHer party.

Finally, I experienced that clumsy thrill of entering a room full of people (whom I generally know only by their goofy pseudonyms). Women who mostly don’t know me, but a few of whom — a tiny few — know me uncomfortably well, having even read those old posts I’ve since re-thunk and deleted.

I had to go, really: I mean, the conference was in my town, after all.

• The best part was meeting some seriously cool blog mentors, and giving at least one of them a tube of toothpaste. (Aimee, Dawn, Sarah,  come to mind, and I know there were others, but Aimee had bought me another glass of wine at that point and it was all hazy.)
  • The second best part was rubbing elbows with big shots who had to nod feebly at me. “Oh, you’re Oh the Joys! Well, I’m Doodaddy.” (Response: Notably gentle look and kind reply.) I’ve always thrived on being a little fish in a big pool, or, in this case, let’s call it the entire South Pacific. A friendlier ocean you couldn’t find.

    • The third best part was being noticed as a, y’know, guy. It’s rare, you see. I think maybe it’s because I was standing next to Backpacking Dad and Mike, within the waft zone of their testosterone.

      • The fourth best part was being downtown in San Francisco, my own city. I love watching tourists walk around and around each other and all the while knowing that I have a little secret — I really live here!
      The weirdest part, even weirder than that stranger’s hand on my lower back (who was that, anyway?), was the laundry nuts they were handing out. These turned out to be especially fragrant nuts that you use instead of detergent if you want your clothes to be, y’know, “nutty.” (To be fair, there were better goody bags, I just didn’t feel right taking one, not being, y’know, a “her.”)

    So thanks, BlogHer peeps, for the party, the kind words, and, of course, my nuts. Come back soon!